Things That Go Bump In The Night

It had been a frustrating week at the office... A staffing situation was unsettled and the help I had been counting on during the most hectic season of the year was out because of health problems. I was in the midst of a 60 hour week and I was beat, ready for a long night of rest.

But last Thursday morning at around 4 o'clock I awoke out of a dead sleep and the Lord began speaking to me for a couple hours. Lest you think I'm some kind of nutty mystic, this is not something normal for me. I can be a night person and study long into the morning, but once I hit the sheets I'm wasted until after my morning shower - not so on Thursday. It was the kind of awakening that comes when you hear something go bump in the night.

During this early morning meeting, He addressed some personal issues I had been concerned about, but most inspiring were the teachings given about two unrelated passages. I had not read them in the previous week, and to the best of my recollection, had not entertained any discussion or thought about them. The communication was so explicit that I was compelled to go to my desk and take notes -- almost two pages. The Lord even asked me a question about what I thought about a particular verse. Mind you now, it wasn't an audible voice, it was a mind thing, but a heart thumping experience non-the-less.

I'm hoping that this initiated a new phase in my relationship with God. Generally, he speaks during sermon preparation, while listening to a sermon, or during prayer. This was definitely a bonus session for me!

So, it's getting close to my bedtime now -- time to enter the land of crazy dreams and the friendly Sandman. I will admit the early morning session prompted me to make some changes to my sleeping habits. Now I turn down the volume of my sound machine quite a bit. You see, I want to be sure it doesn't drown out the noise of anything that might go bump in the night. (I Samuel 3:10)

Apostles -- Foundational and Strategic

After a two week sabbatical, I am back at the keyboard and will resume the weekly postings on our Life Beyond the Pale blog. I return to the topic of five-fold ministries, and the divine energy God calls them to infuse into the church today.

The word apostle is a transliteration of the Greek word apostolis, which carries the thought of being sent forth. In secular Greek (from which the word was borrowed) it had a military connotation: sent forth to achieve a military objective. I think it an injustice to dumb down the the biblical definition of apostle to simply: one sent. It seems to me that in so doing we drastically diminish its spiritual role within the five-fold listing. If the only criteria for apostleship was being sent forth, everyone reading the Great Commission would meet the qualifications for apostleship.

Several interesting facts about New Testament apostleship may guide us to a fuller understanding of the apostle: 1) There were in Paul's stable of ministers, a group (including at least one woman) that he designated apostles, 2) their role was much more strategic than simply being sent forth, 3) they were given a special "grace" that enabled them to carry out a unique ministry (i.e. their function [office] prompted the title apostle).

Aside from a purely arbitrary "cessation" approach to the Spirit's activity in the church today, there is no scriptural evidence that suggests any of the five-fold ministry gifts were somehow targeted for removal from the church after the first century. Given that understanding of scripture, the question becomes, what does an apostle bring to the church and how can we honor and embrace that ministry?

It is hard to deny that New Testament apostles carried an anointing and authority for building. Paul states that he was given the "grace" to be a wise master builder. Consequently, we can logically conclude that those he identifies as apostles were likewise gifted to partner with him for bringing order and structure to the work of ministry (wise master builders).

Apostles are those appointed and anointed by God for bringing form and strategy to the church. Throughout history apostolic ministers have emerged, powerfully launching new initiatives and redefining traditional church polity. What often resulted from their ministry was a denomination bearing their name, created to carry the movement to the next generation. But institutions are not what God designed for bringing form and initiative to the church - it is gifted men and women. Consequently, denominations have largely failed to maintain any level of spiritual vitality and vision - many becoming relics of glorious days past.

As we look around our cities today, we note a growing number of large ministries that are labeled megachurches. The reason for their ability to rapidly grow can be found when we identify the ministry gift of the leader of that church. He may be called Senior Pastor, but it is his apostolic gift that provides the impetus and structure for reaching and accommodating his grand vision. He is a networker, strategist, and carries a vision for his city and the world.

So, maybe we should muster up the courage and call such folks apostles rather than pastors. Those so gifted can be easily identified by their immense vision, ability to raise up spiritual sons, and the entourage of gifted ministers who work together to guide the organization and effectively carry the ministry load. (Ephesians 4:11)

Teachers - Uncovering Gems from Scripture

Some years ago I was assembling a team to teach at a gathering of national leaders in Central America. In addition to a few teachers, the team included several pastors who were interested in learning more about the missions work.

I knew the pastors were hoping to preach, but I needed to limit their pulpit ministry so the invited teachers would have ample time to develop their topics. During preparation, someone commented to me: "Pastors should be able to teach, why limit their involvement?" The question revealed a dangerous oversight in respect to the specific role of the teaching ministry gift in the church. While it is true that all pastors teach, they are not all teachers.

I know many people who enjoy playing music, but only a handful could be considered musicians -- the difference is quite easy to recognize. The one creates a melody, the other a work of art. Likewise, many can teach from the scriptures, but few are graced with the ministry gift. Teachers are anointed to communicate profound biblical insights that challenge and captivate the heart -- they confront us with truth.

Those graced with the teacher ministry gift have no need to delve into questionable theology or twist established doctrine. Like a miner digging into the mountain of scripture, time and time again the teacher will return from his work with radiant gems to share with the church. His messages correct wrong thinking and debilitating attitudes -- they keep the church on a proper course. While all ministers are called to teach and disciple those in their care, sitting at the feet of a teacher transports the student to the deep places in God.

There are many warnings in scripture about teachers who forsake the truth and teach doctrines alien to God's word. The church must be cautious in rightly perceiving the role and ministry of its teachers, not mistaking cleverness for biblical insight. The men and women who uncover, cut, and polish the life-changing gems from scripture are essential to building strong and world-changing churches.

Let's keep our ears tuned and pulpits open to the ministry of the teacher. They may lack the bling of the four complementing gifts, but if we listen closely we'll find ourselves inspired and on the right course with God.